Young Golf Team Off to Great Start

BY KENNETH EKERT

Staff Reporter

Senior captain Hector Gutierrez from Mexico, came into the 2018-2019 golf season with high expectations even though the team has dwindled down in numbers. The men’s golf team usually has a roster of 10 to 12 members, yet this year there are seven.

In previous years, five golfers were selected at a time to travel to tournaments while the others stayed behind to practice. This resulted in the team switching golfers on and off each weekend.

“It is great, we have a less number of kids than we usually have had,” said Gutierrez. “It keeps each member of the team wanting to play during the weekend and we will not lose any of our mojos.”

From Sept. 2-3, the team finished ninth out of 18 teams with a score of 900 (36-over-par) at the Turning Stone Invitational in Verona, N.Y.  Sophomore Saptak Talwar, from India, led the team individually finishing tied for thirteenth with a score of 219 (3-over-par).

“We have a younger team this year and we are excited about the energy they bring to every tournament and practice,” said head coach Matthew McGreevy. “The team has set goals and we are going to work hard to achieve them.”

McGreevy is in his eighth season with the team, and the players look up to him. McGreevy wants to shape his golfers and help navigate them through their college careers and beyond.

From Sept. 8-9, the team finished first in the Ryan T. Lee Collegiate in Simsbury, Conn. They scored 9-over-par (585). Talwar scored 1-under-par (143) to win the individual tournament.

“Saptak is a very mature, well rounded player with a great head on his shoulder.  I am so proud of his win at the Ryan T. Lee Collegiate as well as the team win,” said McGreevy. “Saptak will continue to work hard and I am confident he can accomplish anything he puts his mind to.”

Talwar won the 2017-2018 Northeast Conference (NEC) Rookie of the Year Award and expected himself to resume where he left off. Talwar was the only Sacred Heart golfer to participate in the 2018 NCAA Regional Tournament in Kissimmee, Fla. coming close to making the final field for the NCAA National Tournament.

“It was great to get off to a fantastic start this season, but this does not beat the outcome I had last year,” said Talwar.  “I hope this momentum from the start of this season continues and hopefully helps me get back to the regional tournament and beyond.”

Freshman Nathan Kim from Los Angeles, scored a 10-over-par (226) at Verona and then a 4-over-par (148) at Simsbury.

“It is great to be on a team like this,” said Kim. “We have a lot of drive and passion for us to keep winning tournaments as a team, and individually.”

The team hopes to continue the momentum throughout the rest of September. After competing at the Hartford Hawks Invite in South Kent, Conn. from Sept. 17-18, the team will compete in the MacDonald Cup in New Haven from Sept. 29-30.

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